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Undergraduate Career Readiness Plan

One of the greatest qualities of a Liberal Arts education is its interdisciplinary approach, which makes each student’s four-year experience unique. No two students will take the same courses or follow the same academic enrichment and career planning paths during their undergraduate years. This four-year timeline is provided as a suggestion; please adapt this information to suit your personal interests and goals. 

  • Second Year
  • Third Year
    • If you are considering law school or graduate school, schedule an appointment with a law school or graduate school admissions coach
    • Complete the Career Crossroads activity to get a better idea of what you are looking for in an internship or a job
    • Consider taking a career course for creditLA 101M is a 1-hour credit course that you can take at any time during your undergraduate career
    • Browse Handshake to better prepare for required and preferred qualifications of full-time positions in your desired field.
    • Update your resume to reflect your second year and summer experiences
    • Connect with and learn from alumni by using HookedIn, the University of Texas alumni network, or LinkedIn
    • Cultivate relationships with professors and Teaching Assistants (TA) by visiting office hours
    • Attend a career fair or employer event to network with employers and learn about job and internship opportunities they have available for the summer or the next school year
    • Obtain an internship or part time job that will help you develop transferrable skills and be competitive for jobs upon graduation
    • Update your existing cover letter to include new experiences and have it reviewed by a career coach 
    • Visit the UT Outpost Career Closet to start building your professional clothing collection
    • Schedule an appointment with a career coach to craft strong application materials
  • Fourth Year
    • Identify your goals and create a game plan. Full-time job? Graduate school? Post-graduate fellowship/grant program? Travel?
    • For full time positions, begin searching for postings at least 3-6 months before you graduate. This will give you time to network, interview, and secure a position. Some industries have hiring timelines that hire a year out. Meet with a career coach to customize your job search plan
    • Research companies and types of positions you are interested in using Handshake (and other job search tools)
    • Obtain an additional internship for Fall, Spring or even the Summer after you graduate
    • Strengthen relationships with professors and Teaching Assistants (TA) by visiting office hours
    • Consider taking a career course for credit LA 101M is a 1-hour credit course that you can take at any time during your undergraduate career
    • Reach out to your network (current and former professors/TAs, job or internship supervisors, mentors, UT alumni) to let them know you are looking for a position after graduation
    • Take the Linkedin Master Course to optimize LinkedIn to its fullest
    • Attend career fairs and employer events to meet representatives from employers you are interested in to learn more about the organization and full-time job opportunities
    • Interact with alumni on HookedIn and LinkedIn who work at companies or in industries of interest
    • Identify people (former/current supervisors, research program leadership, mentors) to serve as references for your job search or letter writers for law or graduate school
    • Finalize your resume and create various tailored versions for the specific jobs/industries you are applying to
    • Develop a cover letter template and tailor it to each job you apply for
    • Complete the Job Posting Analysis handout to ensure your application materials are highlighting key information from the job posting

     

  • Post-Graduation
    • Meet with a career coach for up to one year after your graduation date
    • Access Handshake in perpetuity
    • Stay connected with other alumni and current students through HookedIn. Consider becoming a mentor for current students to help them in their own career journey!
    • Share your career success with us at Liberal Arts Career Services!